Trump Calls on Countries to Protect Strait of Hormuz, Offers Support

(MENAFN) Donald Trump said Saturday that countries relying on oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz should play a direct role in ensuring the security of the strategic maritime route, adding that the United States would support those efforts.

In a message shared on his social media platform Truth Social, the US president emphasized that nations benefiting from energy supplies transported through the narrow waterway should take responsibility for protecting it.

“Countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT,” Trump wrote.

He also indicated that Washington intends to work closely with those nations to make sure protective measures are implemented efficiently.

Trump said cooperation among countries using the route would allow the initiative to move forward “quickly, smoothly, and well.”

The president added that maintaining the safety of the critical shipping corridor should have always been a shared obligation among the countries that depend on it.

“This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be," he said.

Tensions in the region intensified after Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz beginning March 1, according to reports. The move followed coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28 targeting sites in Iran. Iranian authorities say the attacks resulted in more than 1,200 deaths, including the country’s then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and the situation has continued to escalate.

In response, Tehran has launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes directed at Israel as well as countries including Jordan and Iraq, along with Gulf states hosting American military installations. The exchanges have caused casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, according to reports.

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